Mail-bag and parcel receiving and delivering apparatus.



. v M- CLARK. I HAIL EAG AND PARCEL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

12211101111011 FILED 0012.19, 1908.

2 SHEETS-3311! 1.

rus NORRIS PETERS :01, WASHINGTON, n. c,

A. M. CLARK. MAIL BAG AND EARGEL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATIOH FILED 00T.19 1908.

Patented May 2,- 1911..

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

: "Ill/1111.711] 1 -r l Inumtnr THE NORRIS PETEFS cm, WASHUVGTON, n. c.

ALFRED M. CLARK, 0F KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-BAG AND PARCEL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 19, 1908.

Patented May 2, 1911. Serial No. 458,376.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag and Parcel Receiving and Delivering Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

his invention relates to mail bag and parcel receiving and delivering apparatus, and consists in the construct-ion and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means especially designed for use in connection with mail and express cars for receiving and delivering mail bags and parcels without the necessity of stopping the car, and while the car is traveling at a high rate of speed, the arrangement being such or parcel to be picked up, and at the same time another bag or parcel deposited while the car to which the apparatus is attached is passing a station, provision being also made for withdrawing the receiving and delivering device within the car and for using it on either side of the car, as may be desired.

The above object is attained by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a transverse section through a car illustrating the application of my invention, and showing the receiving and delivering scoop in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a car, showing the receiving and delivering scoop suspended from the door therein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting rame work from which the scoop is swiveled or pivotally suspended, the parts connected with the scoop being broken away. Fig. 4 1s a longitudinal section through the scoop. Fig. 5 is a transverse section therethrough. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view as 0-11 line 6-6 of Fig. 4. 7 is an inverted I an enl plan of the receiving and delivering platform, the end supports for said platform 1 section through the platform as on line f Fig. 7 with said platform in its normal position, it being borne in mind that in Fig. 7 said platform is inverted. Fig. 9 is arged sectional view, showing the hinged and swiveled connection between the roller which travels upon a transverse track within the car, and the frame which supports the receiving and delivering scoop.

eferring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the frame of the car across the upper portion of which extends a transverse track 2. Mounted to travel upon said track is a transporting pulley 3 which is journaled to the upper end of a depending bracket 4;. The lower end of the bracket 4 is swiveled, as shown at 5 to a sleeve 6 which attached to and connected by a cross piece 9. Swiveled at 10 to the lower ends of the arms 8 are the curved side braces 1l-which ext-end inwardly and downwardly and whose lower ends are connected to and carry a lower cross bar 12.

The receiving and delivering scoop 13 is substantially cylindrical in form, being provided at its receiving end with a flaring downwardly extending lip 14. Embracing said scoop are the metallic straps 15 which at the top of the scoop are longitudinal cross piece 16. This cross piece 16 attached to the scoop, is swiveled to the cross piece 9 carried by the arms 8 by means of a bolt 17 which passes centrally through said parts. The swivel connection between turned so as to present the mouth or receiving end thereof in either direction. For the purpose of securing the scoop in either position, tapered pins 16 are passed through the cross pieces 9 and 16 at their ends.

Located within the scoop and crossing the interior thereof is a slidable partition 18 which is provided through a portion thereof with slits 19 to obviate undue air resistance. Said partition has a horizontal bottom portion from which extend the strengthening ribs 21 which engage the back face of said partition. Mounted upon the bottom piece 20 of said sliding partition is 5 a transverse plate 22 which is riveted to said bottom piece 20, as shown in Fig. 6. Projecting from said plate 22 are parallel brackets 23 between which is pivoted on a transverse bolt 24 a gravitating dog 25 which depends through a slot 26 in the plate 20 and through a slot 27 in the bottom 28 of the scoop 13. Depending from the plate 22 and also extending through said slots is a bracket member 29 in which is supported a transverse shaft 30 carrying on the opposite ends thereof the antifriction rollers 31. Mounted upon the under face of the bottom 28 of the scoop is a longitudinally extending housing 32 which is slotted through its center, as shown at 33, to permit the dog 25 to extend therethrough and the bracket 29 to depend thereinto. The opposite sides of said housing afford a way in which the rollers 31 are confined and are adapted to travel longitudinally, said rollers supporting the partition 18 and serving as a transportable mounting for said partition which permits it to reciprocate longitudinally within the cylindrical scoop 13.

Upon the inner face of the door casing 34: of the car at each side thereof near the top are placed the hook shaped brackets 35 adapted to removably receive the upper cross bar 7 and upon the outer face of said door casing upon each side and near the central ortion thereof are placed the hook shaped brackets 36 adapted to removably receive the lower cross bar 12. When the parts are in the position just described, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the scoop 13 will become suspended from the side of the car by means of the extended arms 8 and the hinged braces 11 which support said arms, presenting the scoop longitudinally of the car and some distance from the side thereof in a position to receive or deposit a mail bag or a parcel or package.

In the arrangement for presenting a mail bag or other parcel to the scoop in a manner to be received thereinto while the car is moving, a suitable platform is provided at the side of the car mounted upon supporting posts 37 having laterally extending arms provided with terminal portions forming vertical standards 38 which are spaced some distance apart and stand in parallel relation. Secured to the upper end of said standards are the side pieces 39 of the platform, the upper edges of said side pieces flaring outwardly, as shown at 10. The bottom tl of the platform is formed of a steel plate, comparatively thin, to render it flexible and of sufficient width to extend between the side pieces 39. The ends of the flexible steel bottom of the platform extend partially be lying upon said platform,

around and are secured to the rollers 42 having trunnions therein adapted to slide in longitudinal slots platform. Passing through the rollers 12 are bolts 13 whose free ends project inwardly and extend loosely through of the standards 38, the inner ends of said bolts carrying thereon the coiled springs 4:5 between said nuts and the inner faces of the standards 88.

formed in the sides of said the upper ends the nuts 4:4: which confine The tension of the springs 15 normally draws the rollers against the outer faces of the standards 38 and causes the bottom of the platform to bow upwardly, as shown by solid lines in Fig. 8. Formed through the flexible bottom of the platform at its opposite ends are the slots 46 and 17 respective, to lie in the path of the gravity dog 25 depending attached to the movable partition The height of the platform is such that the bottom 41 thereof will be engaged by the depending lip 1 1 at said scoop is passing over the platform.

longitudinally extending so positioned as from the bottom of the scoop and 18 therein.

the mouth of the scoop as In the operation of this device, the mail bag or other package which is to be taken up by the passing car, is placed upon the bottom 41 of the platform and the mail bag or which the car is traveling, and said scoop swung from the side of the car as before explamed and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

As the scoop encounters the platform upon which the mail bag or parcel is lying, the depending lip of the scoop engages the bot tom of the platform which because of its curved shape and yielding character, is held in frictional engagement with said lip, causing the scoop to pick up anything that may at the same time the dog 25, when the scoop is traveling to the left, will engage in the slot 16 in the bottom of the platform, thereby nomentarily arresting the partition 18, causing the scoop to travel forward independently of said partition, which movement will discharge from the rear end of the scoop, a mail bag or package which may be lying therein in the rear of said partition. To permit the partition to again move forward with the scoop, the dog 25 is disengaged from the slot in the bottom of the platform by the curved rear edge thereof engaging the end terminal of the slot 27 in the bottom of said scoop, or other suitable stop, which throws the dog upwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, thereby retracting it from the slot 16 and enabling the partition 18 to again move forward with the scoop. The flexible nature of the bottom 41 of the platform when it is engaged by the scoop, causes it to spring downwardly into a horizontal position, as

shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, the rollers the track in the plane of the horizontal 42 at the ends of said bottom part moving travel of said receiving and discharging outwardly against the action of the springs member. 45 to accommodate such movement and said 3. In a device for the purpose set forth, springs serving to return the parts to their the combination with a car, of a receiving normal position after the passage of the and discharging member, means for susscoop. pending said member from the side of the When the car is moving in the opposite car, a fixed platform supported in the path direction, the ends of the scoop are reversed of the horizontal travel of said receiving by swinging it upon the swivel 17 so as to and discharging member, a movable partipresent the mouth end of the scoop to the tion within said receiving and discharging right, in which position the scoop will move member, and means actuated by the horizonfrom left to right over the platform, and tal travel of said member for effecting a movement between said receiving and disthe dog 25 will engage in the slot 47 and the operation just described will be repeated. charging member and said partition therein.

The combination of a car, a receiving The partition 18 which discharges fromi and discharging member, means for susthe scoop the mail bag or package placed in the rear thereof, also serves to prevent the pending said member from the side of the car, a movable partition within said memmomentum of the scoop causing the bag or package which is picked up to pass entirely her, a platform supported in the horizontal path of said member adapted to be entherethrough, said partition in effect closing gaged thereby, and means actuated by the the rear end of the scoop as illustrated bydotted lines in Fig. 4, and confining within engagement of said member with said platform for effecting a movement between said the scoop whatever is picked up from the member and partition.

platform. I

By disengaging the cross bar 12 the scoop, 5. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a car, a package receiv-.

by force of gravity, will swing within the mg and discharging member, means for suscar suspended by the arms 8. To employ pending said member from said car, a movthe device on the opposite side of the car, the cross bars 7 and 12 are disengaged from able partition within said member, a plattheir respective brackets and sald parts form supported in the path of the horizonswung upon the swivel connection between tal travel of said member, and means cothe bracket 4 and the cross bar 7 to allow acting with said platform for momentarily them to enter the door of the car, when the arresting the travel of said partition when device may be carried across the car upon said receiving and discharging member is the track 2 and projected from the opposite passing thereover and for again permitting door 48, the inner hooked brackets 49 being said partition to move with said member. used to support the cross bar 7 and the outer Thc combination With a car, of a scoop hooked brackets 50 to support the cross bar Suspended from the side of the car, a mov- 12 in a manner to suspend th scoop fro able partition 1n said scoop, a platform supthe side of the car opposite aid do a ported 1n the path of the horizontal travel before described. of said scoop, and means actuated by the en- Having thus fully set forth my inv ntion, gagement of said scoop with said platform what I claim as new and desire to secure by for moving said partition within said scoop. Letters Patent, is 7. In a device for the purpose set forth,

1. In adevice for the purpose set forth, h C Inbin tion Wltll a cal", of a Jointed the combination with a car, of a hollow f m dapt d to be pr jected from the side scoop to contain a package, means within of the car and lunged to swmg through the the scoop for discharging a package there- Car door, a reversible scoop suspended from from, means for mounting said scoop and S d fr m nda p atf rm supported in the projecting it from the side of the car, said path of the horizontal travel of said scoop. mounting means allowing the ends of the 8. In an apparatus for the purpose set scoop to be reversed and rving to hold the forth, the comblnatlon of a car, a scoop susscoop parallel with the ear, and a fiat p-latpended from said car, a platform in the f Supported i th th f th h ripath of the horizontal travel of said scoop, zontal travel of the scoop in position to be sald platform having a flexible bottom engaged thereby as the scoop is carried Over which is engaged by the mouth of the scoop the platform by the travel of the car. as said scoop passes over said platform.

In a device for the purpose set forth, 9. In an apparatus for the purpose set the combination with a car, of a parcel reforth, the combinat on of a car, a scoop sus- .ieiving and discharging member, means for pended from the side of the car having a suspending said receiving and discharging movable partitlon thereln, means carried member from the side of the-car and for by the scoop for eifectmg a movement of moving said member across the car from said partitlon. a platform over which the side to side thereof and a platform adjacent scoop is adapted to pass, said. partltlon-ac- Copies of this patent may tuating means being adapted to engage said platform to efiect'a movement of said partit-ion.

10. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a car, a scoop suspended from the side of the car, a platform for supporting a package, said plat-form having a resilient bottom part adapted to be engaged by the scoop, and means for supporting said bottom partyieldingly in po sit-ion.

11. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination with a car, of a scoop, means for suspending the scoop from the side of the car, a movable partition within the scoop, a platform in the path of the travel of the-scoop, the bottom of said platform having a slot therein, and means carried by said movable partition adapted to engage in said slot to efiect a movement be tween said partition and scoop.

12. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination with a car, of a scoop, means for suspending the scoop from the side of the car, a platform in the path of the travel of the scoop bottom, and means for yieldingly retaining said bottom in contact with the scoop during the passage of the scoop over said platform.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED M. CLARK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. Fox, MAUDE E. LUCAS.

be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

Commissioner of Patents,

having a resihent- 

